Hans von Baysen

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Baysen Coat of Arms (Bażeński)

Johann von Baysen (Polish Jan Bażyński , * around 1390; † November 9, 1459 in Marienburg ) was a Prussian knight and statesman who was wealthy in the area of Osterode and who led the Prussian Confederation in the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466) against the Teutonic Order who he had previously served for many years. The war ended with the Second Peace of Thorn in 1466. He died as Gubernator ( governor ) of Royal Prussia in 1459 at the Marienburg Castle . His successor was Stibor von Baysen .

Seal of Johann von Baysen

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The Baysen were a branch of the Flemming family who immigrated from Lübeck or the surrounding area in the 13th century . They called themselves Basien after their ancestral home in Warmia near Wormditt . The estate still existed in 1945, but had passed into the possession of another family.

Johann (es) or Hans von Baysen had already served under the high masters Heinrich von Plauen and Michael Küchmeister von Sternberg in the high master's court service. Heinrich von Plauen had sent him as ambassador to the King of England. Under Michael Küchmeister, he went to the court of the Portuguese king of his own accord and from 1419 to 1422 took part in the battles of the Portuguese against the Moors in Ceuta . That was immortalized in two pictures that were still hanging in the Basien manor house in 1945.

Upon his return, he was admitted to the council of the Grand Master. Despite this position, he was skeptical of the actions of the Order's government, without, however, going completely over to the camp of the discontented. In the opinion of many, the administration of Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf rejected justified demands of the subjects and soon exerted hard pressure, soon they fell back again in uncertainty. There were also criticisms of the order's abandonment of principles and internal disputes. Gross abuse of official authority on the part of the large area as well as commander and the interference of the order in the commercial life drove the estates of Prussia to energetic steps of defense and defense. Because of these circumstances, at the end of the preliminary negotiations, Baysen declared that he was ready to join the unification of the estates, but he did not want to leave the council of the Grand Master until the latter touched the rights and privileges of the country and cities.

Accordingly, he did seal the federal letter of the state and the cities of Prussia drawn up on March 14, 1440 at Marienwerder , in which the mutual protection against all violence by the rulers was agreed, but for many years he still played the role of mediator with skill and success adhered to. The reputation and trust he enjoyed on both sides enabled him to maintain this difficult position. Soon he advised moderation here or there of his own free will, restrained the Order and its own allies from taking hasty steps, and soon he allowed one party or the other to use him to moderate his opponents.

This was only possible under a regent like Paul's successor Konrad von Erlichshausen , who wanted to restore order in the order. Any well-founded complaint by the country should be remedied. Even under his successor Ludwig von Erlichshausen , who wanted to break the bond of subjects by force if necessary, Hans von Baysen knew how to maintain the trust of the order for several years.

The bitterness on the part of the federal government grew more and more and in the order the middleman attracted the hatred of the hotspurs: the “poisonous, lame dragon” and “basilisk”, the “traitor” - these were the expressions with which one was used referred to him. Due to sickness and a trip out of the country to Silesia, he was no longer able to carry out his activities as before.

Returning from the trip, he found everything fundamentally changed and the situation extremely aggravated. Friedrich III. had confirmed the covenant; they had given it a tighter shape that enabled it to be more active; they had even established ties with Poland and with King Casimir IV and found accommodation there.

In view of the impending struggle, Baysen took a firm, decisive position on the side of the country against the order's government. He joined the newly created governing body, the federal council.

It came to a further aggravation when Emperor Friedrich III. contrary to his first declaration, gave the order to dissolve the covenant, accompanied by the threat of the eight. The Grand Master wanted to enforce the imperial motto by all means.

After the Polish aid was assured, on February 4, 1454, Thorn sent the federal rejection letter to Grand Master and Order. A federal embassy, ​​headed by Hans von Baysen and his brother Gabriel von Baysen, then brought about the definitive deal with King Casimir IV: on February 22nd, the king declared war on the order, and on March 6th, he took over the rule the Order of the Land and on March 9th he appointed Hans von Baysen Gubernator of the Lands of Prussia.

Baysen had no direct part in the fighting itself; his activity consisted mainly of operating and promoting military armor and constantly adding new reinforcements to the royal army. Its seat was first in Elbing , then in the Marienburg. He died there on November 9, 1459. His brother Stibor von Baysen succeeded him as governor.

After the death of Stibor von Baysen in 1480, Nikolaus von Baysen was chosen, who was only recognized by King Casimir as captain of the country. Nikolaus von Baysen refused the oath to the king and thus the office, and after several attempts by the king to appoint Polish people, the office expired in 1510.

memories

Even today one of the oldest trees grown in Prussia, the Baysen oak in Cadinen, after 1945 Kadyny , Poland, is named after him. The General Education Liceum No. 1 in Ostróda has been nicknamed "Jana Bażyńskiego" since September 2002.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Max Töppen: 1458-1525 . Scientia-Verlag, 1974, ISBN 978-3-511-05015-3 , limited preview in the Google book search

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Baysen, Hans von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Baysen, Johann von; Bażeński, Jan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian knight and statesman
DATE OF BIRTH around 1390
DATE OF DEATH November 9, 1459
Place of death Marienburg